Engine enclosure with panel retainer assemblies

ABSTRACT

An engine enclosure includes a frame, multiple roof panels, and multiple retainer assemblies. The roof panels are disposed on the frame and include one or more threaded receptacles. The retainer assemblies are configured to releasably secure the roof panels to the frame. The retainer assemblies include a clamp, and a threaded fastener. The clamp includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is disposed adjacent to the frame. The second portion is substantially offset from the first portion and includes an aperture. The threaded fastener is disposed within the aperture and releasably fastened to the threaded receptacle.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an engine enclosure and moreparticularly to an engine enclosure with panel retainer assemblies.

BACKGROUND

Conventional enclosures, such as those used in enclosing powergeneration systems, include large panels that are often bolted in placeonto a frame. Hence, a position of the panels with respect to the framemay be fixed. Thus, variations or adjustments to the configuration ofthe conventional enclosures may be limited.

U.S Publication No. 2012/0073215 A1 relates to an enclosure for a powergeneration system. The enclosure includes sidewalls and a roof extendinggenerally transverse to the sidewalls. The enclosure further includeslatches associated with one of the roof or a sidewall, and engagementfeatures associated with the other of the roof or a sidewall. Each ofthe latches is configured to engage one of the engagement features andreleasably fasten the roof to the sidewalls.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an engine enclosureincluding a frame, multiple roof panels, and multiple retainerassemblies. The roof panels are disposed on the frame and include one ormore threaded receptacles. The retainer assemblies are configured toreleasably secure the roof panels to the frame. The retainer assembliesinclude a clamp, and a threaded fastener. The clamp includes a firstportion and a second portion. The first portion is disposed adjacent tothe frame. The second portion is substantially offset from the firstportion and includes an aperture. The threaded fastener is disposedwithin the aperture and releasably fastened to the threaded receptacle.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a power systemincluding an engine and the engine enclosure. The engine enclosureincludes the frame, the roof panels, and the retainer assemblies. Theframe is disposed around the engine. The roof panels are disposed on theframe and include the threaded receptacles. The retainer assemblies areconfigured to releasably secure the roof panels to the frame. Theretainer assemblies include the clamp, and the threaded fastener. Theclamp includes the first portion and the second portion. The firstportion is disposed adjacent to the frame. The second portion issubstantially offset from the first portion and includes the aperture.The threaded fastener is disposed within the aperture and releasablyfastened to the threaded receptacle.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method ofinstalling a power system. The method includes positioning the framearound the engine of the power system. The method further includespositioning the roof panels on the frame. The method further includespositioning the first portion of the clamp adjacent to the frame. Themethod further includes positioning the second portion of the clampadjacent to the roof panel. The method further includes axially aligningthe aperture of the second portion of the clamp to the threadedreceptacle of the roof panel. The method further includes positioningthe threaded fastener within the aperture. The method further includesreleasably fastening the threaded fastener to the threaded receptaclesuch that the roof panel is releasably secured to the frame.

Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a power system in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2-3 show a bottom breakaway perspective view of the engineenclosure; and

FIG. 4 shows a method of installing the power system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to an engine enclosure with panelretainer assemblies. FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of the power system100 in which disclosed embodiments may be implemented. As can be seenfrom FIG. 1, the power system 100 includes an engine 102, and an engineenclosure 104. The engine 102 may be of any type. In one embodiment, theengine 102 may be a gas turbine engine used to drive a generator forpower generation, or other mechanical assemblies such as a compressor.In another embodiment, the engine 102 may be a machine such as anelectric motor used to perform mechanical work.

The engine enclosure 104 may be configured to enclose the engine 102.The engine enclosure 104 includes a frame 106, and multiple roof panels108 disposed on the frame 106. The frame 106 is disposed around theengine 102. In an embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the roof panels 108 maybe disposed on a top side 110 of the frame 106. In an embodiment asshown in FIG. 1, the roof panels 108 may include a first end panel 112,a second end panel 114, and one or more intermediate panels 116including openings 118, 120, and 122 respectively.

In an embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the power system 100 may include aventilation system 124 connected to the engine enclosure 104. Theventilation system 124 may include a ventilation inlet 126 and aventilation outlet 128 connected to the engine enclosure 104 at theopenings 118, 120 respectively. The ventilation inlet 126 may beconfigured to draw air into the engine enclosure 104. The ventilationoutlet 128 may be configured to exhaust air from within the engineenclosure 104. Air entering the ventilation inlet 126 may flow aroundthe engine 102 and exit out of the engine enclosure 104 via theventilation outlet 128. Therefore, the ventilation system 124 may beconfigured to ventilate the engine enclosure 104.

In an embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the power system 100 may include anengine air system 130 connected to the engine 102 via the opening 122 onthe intermediate panel 116. The engine air system 130 may be configuredto supply air to the engine 102.

In an embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the engine enclosure 104 mayfurther include one or more side panels 132 including an opening 134. Inanother embodiment, the power system 100 may further include an engineexhaust system 136 connected to the engine 102 via the opening 134 onthe side panel 132. The engine exhaust system 136 may be configured toremove combusted products from the engine 102.

In the preceding embodiments, it is disclosed that the openings 118,120, 122 may be located on the end panels 112, 114 and the intermediatepanels 116 respectively. However, a person having ordinary skill in theart may acknowledge that the locations of the openings 118, 120, 122 onthe respective panels 112, 114 and 116 may be based on a position of theengine 102, the ventilation system 124 and the engine air system 130with respect to the engine enclosure 104 such that the engine air system130 and the ventilation system 124 may connect at appropriate positionson the engine 102 and the engine enclosure 104 respectively. Therefore,it may be noted that the locations of the openings 118, 120, 122disclosed herein are exemplary in nature and may change depending oninter-relative positions of the engine 102, the engine enclosure 104,the ventilation system 124 and the engine air system 130.

In an embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the openings 118, 120, 122 on theend panels 112, 114 and intermediate panels 116 may be square in shape.In another embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the openings 134 on the sidepanel 132 may be circular in shape. Although it is disclosed herein thatthe openings 118, 120, 122, or 134 may be square or circular in shape, aperson of ordinary skill in the art will acknowledge that any shape maybe used to define the openings 118, 120, 122, and 134. Therefore, it maybe noted that the shape of the openings 118, 120, 122, and 134 disclosedherein is exemplary in nature and does not limit the scope of thisdisclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a breakaway perspective view of the engine enclosure 104exposing an underside of the roof panels 108 and the frame 106. The roofpanels 108 include one or more threaded receptacles 138. In oneembodiment, the threaded receptacles 138 may be tapped holes in the roofpanels 108. In another embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the roof panels108 may include one or more screw bosses 140 defining the threadedreceptacles 138.

The engine enclosure 104 further includes one or more retainerassemblies 142 configured to releasably secure the roof panels 108 tothe frame 106. The retainer assemblies 142 include a clamp 144, and athreaded fastener 146. The clamp 144 includes a first portion 148 and asecond portion 150. The first portion 148 is disposed adjacent to theframe 106. The second portion 150 is substantially offset from the firstportion 148 and includes an aperture 152. The threaded fastener 146 isdisposed within the aperture 152 and releasably fastened to the threadedreceptacle 138.

In an embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the threaded receptacle 138 may belocated on the roof panel 108 between an edge 154 of the frame 106 andan edge 156 of the roof panel 108. Therefore, in this embodiment, theretainer assembly 142 may be correspondingly disposed between the edges154, 156 such that the frame 106 may be trapped between the roof panel108 and the first portion 148 of the clamp 144 upon fastening thethreaded fastener 146 to the threaded receptacle 138.

In an embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the frame 106 may include a ledgemember 158. Therefore, in this embodiment, the threaded receptacle 138may be correspondingly located on the roof panel 108 such that thethreaded receptacle 138 may be disposed proximal to the ledge member158. Further, the first portion 148 of the clamp 144 may be disposedadjacent to the ledge member 158 such that upon fastening the threadedfastener 146 to the threaded receptacle 138, the ledge member 158 may betrapped between the roof panel 108 and the first portion 148 of theclamp 144.

In an embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the threaded fastener 146 may be ahexagonal bolt. In other embodiments, other threaded fasteners 146commonly known in the art may be used to releasably secure the roofpanels 108 to the frame 106. Therefore, it may be noted that the type ofthreaded fasteners 146 disclosed herein is exemplary in nature and doesnot limit the scope of this disclosure.

In an embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the retainer assembly 142 mayfurther include a spring 160 and a washer 162 disposed between the clamp144 and the threaded fastener 146. The spring 160 may be configured toaxially bias the threaded fastener 146 away from the threaded receptacle138 while the washer 162 may be configured to distribute a net force ofthe threaded fastener 146 on the spring 160.

In an embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, a cross section of the frame 106may be square shaped. In another embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, thecross section of the frame 106 may be I-shaped. In an embodiment asshown in FIG. 3, the clamp 144 may further include a middle portion 164extending between the first portion 148 and the second portion 150. Inthis embodiment, the middle portion 164 of the clamp 144 may be of ashape and size corresponding to the cross section of the frame 106 asshown in FIG. 3.

In other embodiments the middle portion 164 may be of a shape and sizecorresponding to the cross section of the ledge member 158. Therefore, aperson having ordinary skill in the art may acknowledge that the shapeand size of the middle portion 164 of the clamp 144 may be selectedbased on the cross section of the frame 106/ledge member 158. Further,the size of the middle portion 164 may be selected such that uponfastening the threaded fastener 146 to the threaded receptacle 138, thefirst and second portions 148, 150 of the clamp 144 abut the frame 106and the roof panel 108 respectively thereby securing the roof panel 108to the frame 106.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

FIG. 4 shows a method 400 of installing a power system 100. At step 402,the method includes positioning the frame 106 around the engine 102 ofthe power system 100. At step 404, the method further includespositioning the roof panels 108 on the frame 106. At step 406, themethod further includes positioning the first portion 148 of the clamp144 adjacent to the frame 106. At step 408, the method further includespositioning the second portion 150 of the clamp 144 adjacent to the roofpanel 108. At step 410, the method further includes axially aligning theaperture 152 of the second portion 150 of the clamp 144 to the threadedreceptacle 138 of the roof panel 108. At step 412, the method furtherincludes positioning the threaded fastener 146 within the aperture 152.At step 414, the method further includes releasably fastening thethreaded fastener 146 to the threaded receptacle 138 such that the roofpanel 108 is releasably secured to the frame 106.

In an embodiment, the step 404 of positioning the roof panels 108 on theframe 106 may include moving the roof panels 108 such that openings 118,120, and 122 associated with the roof panels 108 align with the engineair system 130 and the ventilation system 124.

Conventional enclosures, such as those used in enclosing powergeneration systems, include large panels that are often bolted in placeonto a frame 106. Hence, a position of the panels with respect to theframe 106 may be fixed. In some cases, very few panels may be used toform an entire roof or sidewall of the enclosure system. Hence, thesepanels may be bulky and difficult to move by an operator. Thus,variations or adjustments to the configuration of the conventionalenclosures may be limited.

An engine 102, such as a gas turbine engine, may include severalauxiliary devices such as ducts, and air or fuel systems connected atspecific/predetermined positions on the engine 102. Further, tighttolerances may be present between relative positions of the auxiliarydevices and its subsequent positions on the engine 102. Therefore, theoperator may be required to adjust a position of the roof panels 108 tonear exact positions in order to line up and align the openings 118,120, and 122 with the respective auxiliary devices.

During a typical assembly process, the engine 102 may be assembled firstand the associated auxiliary devices may be connected to the engine 102later. Therefore, the openings 118, 120, and 122 associated with theengine enclosure 104 may be configured based on thespecific/predetermined positions of the engine 102 at which theauxiliary devices may be connected.

During assembly of the power system 100 disclosed herein, the operatormay partially engage the threaded fasteners 146 to the roof panel 108.In an embodiment as shown in the FIG. 3, a play 166 may be definedbetween the clamp 144 and the frame 106 upon partially engaging thethreaded fastener 146 to the threaded receptacle 138 on the roof panel108. Therefore, in this embodiment, the play 166 may allow an operatorto slide the roof panels 108 in a first direction A with respect to theframe 106 (as shown by line with arrows).

In another embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, the threaded receptacle 138may be located on the panel with an offset 168 from the edge 154 of theframe 106. Therefore, in this embodiment, the offset 168 may allow theoperator to slide the roof panels 108 in a second direction B withrespect to the frame 106 (as shown by line with arrows).

With reference to the preceding two embodiments, the operator may slidethe roof panels 108 in one or more of the first and second directions A,B until the openings 118, 120, and 122 on the respective roof panels 108(112, 114, and 116) line up and align with the engine air system 130,engine exhaust system 136, and the ventilation system 124. Thereafter,the threaded fasteners 146 may be fully fastened to the roof panel 108by torque wrenching or other methods commonly known in the art such thatthe clamps 144 secure the roof panels 108 to the frame 106. Thus, aflexibility in configuring the engine enclosure 104 by the adjustablepositioning of the roof panels 108 on the frame 106 may save theoperator effort required in aligning the openings 118, 120, and 122 withthe auxiliary devices and set up the power system 100 quickly.

While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown anddescribed with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understoodby those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may becontemplated by the modification of the disclosed machine, systems andmethods without departing from the spirit and scope of what isdisclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within thescope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims andany equivalents thereof.

We claim:
 1. An engine enclosure including: a frame; a plurality of roofpanels disposed on the frame, the roof panels including one or morethreaded receptacles; and one or more retainer assemblies configured toreleasably secure the roof panels to the frame, the retainer assembliesincluding: a clamp including: a first portion disposed adjacent to theframe; and a second portion substantially offset from the first portion,the second portion including an aperture; and a threaded fastenerdisposed within the aperture and releasably fastened to the threadedreceptacle.
 2. The engine enclosure of claim 1, wherein a cross sectionof the frame is one of square shaped and I-shaped.
 3. The engineenclosure of claim 1, wherein the clamp further includes a middleportion extending between the first portion and the second portion. 4.The engine enclosure of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a ledgemember, wherein the first portion of the clamp is disposed adjacent tothe ledge member such that the ledge member is trapped between the roofpanel and the first portion of the clamp.
 5. The engine enclosure ofclaim 1, wherein the roof panels include one or more screw bossesdefining the threaded receptacles.
 6. The engine enclosure of claim 1,wherein the retainer assembly further includes a spring and a washerdisposed between the clamp and the threaded fastener.
 7. The engineenclosure of claim 1, wherein the threaded receptacle is located on theroof panel between an edge of the frame and an edge of the roof panel.8. A power system including: an engine; and an engine enclosureincluding: a frame disposed around the engine; a plurality of roofpanels disposed on the frame, the roof panels including one or morethreaded receptacles; and one or more retainer assemblies configured toreleasably secure the roof panels to the frame, the retainer assembliesincluding: a clamp including: a first portion disposed adjacent to theframe; and a second portion substantially offset from the first portion,the second portion including an aperture; and a threaded fastenerdisposed within the aperture and releasably fastened to the threadedreceptacle.
 9. The power system of claim 8, wherein a cross section ofthe frame is one of square shaped and I-shaped.
 10. The power system ofclaim 8, wherein the clamp further includes a middle portion extendingbetween the first portion and the second portion.
 11. The power systemof claim 8, wherein the frame includes a ledge member.
 12. The powersystem of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the clamp is disposedadjacent to the ledge member such that the ledge member of the frame istrapped between the roof panel and the first portion of the clamp. 13.The power system of claim 8, wherein the roof panels include one or morescrew bosses defining the threaded receptacles.
 14. The power system ofclaim 8, wherein the retainer assembly further includes a spring and awasher disposed between the clamp and the threaded fastener.
 15. Thepower system of claim 8, wherein the threaded receptacle is located onthe roof panel between an edge of the frame and an edge of the roofpanel.
 16. The power system of claim 8 further including an engine airsystem connected to the engine via openings on the roof panels.
 17. Thepower system of claim 8 further including a ventilation system connectedto the engine enclosure via openings on the roof panels.
 18. The powersystem of claim 8, wherein the engine enclosure further includes one ormore side panels including an opening, wherein an engine exhaust systemis connected to the engine via the opening on the side panel.
 19. Amethod of installing a power system, the method including: positioning aframe around an engine of the power system; positioning one or more roofpanels on the frame; positioning a first portion of a clamp adjacent tothe frame; positioning a second portion of the clamp adjacent to theroof panel; axially aligning an aperture of the second portion of theclamp to a threaded receptacle of the roof panel; positioning a threadedfastener within the aperture; and releasably fastening the threadedfastener to the threaded receptacle such that the roof panel isreleasably secured to the frame.
 20. The method of claim 19, whereinpositioning one or more roof panels on the frame includes moving theroof panels such that openings associated with the roof panels alignwith an engine air system and a ventilation system.